Page 48 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife

“He didn’t. This was for the nights he was too quick on the draw.”Which was most nights,I almost added.

She held her belly while continuing to laugh. “And now those gnomes are probably getting more action than you’ve gotten your whole marriage.”

I refrained from rolling my eyes. “Thanks for the reminder.”

We flopped back onto our beds, staring up at the ceiling while my vibrator continued to buzz.

“Ugh!” Ethyl groaned while squeezing her pentagram charm. “I can’t sleep like this.”

“Can you go get it?” I asked her. Surely, her miniature self could fit into the crack in the wall. The gnomes weren’t much bigger than her six-inch form.

She rolled onto her side, giving me an incredulous look. “And risk being molested by a pack of horny gnomes?”

Bzzzz.

When Des rolled over and blinked at me with luminous eyes, I stroked his face. “I’m sorry, baby. Try to get some sleep.”

He shook his head then sat up and let out a startling clap that left a ringing in my ears. “Gnomes, quiet!”

The buzzing stopped, and I heard the pitter-patter of little retreating feet.

Des plopped back down on the bed and closed his eyes while Ethyl and I shared a look.

“That kid’s got some serious magical chops,” Ethyl whispered.

I cringed while giving her a stern look. “Yeah, and no one else needs to know.”

She clutched the pentagram charm that rested against her heart. “Of course. I swear on my star.”

I’d no doubt my son had used magic to silence the gnomes, something not even I knew how to do. I’d never subjected my son to a magical aptitude test, and I never planned on it. As an autistic witch, other witches assumed he had little to no magic. It was why Colin and his parents didn’t balk when I’d told them I wanted to homeschool Des. What they didn’t know was that I had homeschooled my son because I didn’t want other striga discovering how powerful he was. I only prayed the succubi never found out.

“LUCI, WAKE UP!”

My eyes shot open, and I practically flew out of bed at the sound of Ric’s voice. The fuzziness in my head and the fact that the hostel’s walls had faded into mist told me this was a dream, yet the hot breath coming from the winged lion creature that hovered over me felt so real. The beast had some of Ric’s human features, though his golden, slitted eyes looked too feline, as well as his flattened nose and the deep cleft above his mouth.

“Ric!” My hands flew to my mouth. “They let you go?”

“No.” He frowned. “I escaped.”

“What?”

“Hurry.” Pinning back his wings, he nodded to the mist behind him. “We have to go.”

I scooted back when he hovered closer to the bed. “Go where?” I placed my hand on a lump beneath the covers, knowing it was Des still asleep.

He pawed at the ground as shadows darkened his golden lion eyes. “Far away where no one will find us.”

My bones quaked as a chill swept up my spine. “You-you want me to run away with you?”

“I’ll keep us safe.”

I shook my head. “I can’t.”

He arched a furry brow. “Why?”

“I’m a mother, Ric.” I rubbed Des’s back when he stirred. “I can’t become an outlaw. What will happen to my son if they ever find you?”

The lion gave me a pitying look. “You don’t get it, do you? It’s not me they want.” He nodded toward my son. “It’s him.”

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